Collapsible egg case



Feb. 11, 1941. R. M. FENTON COLLAPSIBLE EGG CASE Filed Oct. 21, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L22 W HMUMWWW,

J r1 en for 056 2 2 Mjerziorz Feb. 11, 1941. R. M. FENTON COLLAPSIBLE EGG CASE.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 jar! 216m? m 71 Filed Oct. 21, 1938 Patented Feb. 11, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE EGG CASE Robert M. Fenton, Mansfield, Ohio Application October 21, 1938, Serial No. 236,289

1 Claim. (Cl. 220-7) My invention relates to an improved construccentral partition and bracket holding means tion of collapsible cases or shipping containers therefor. particularly adapted for eggs. Fig. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the An object of my invention is to provide a colreleasable fastening elements at the corners of lapsible case of relatively light and inexpensive the case. .5 construction which may be set up or collapsed Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary View of one quickly and easily; said case when set up being of the releasable interlocking fastening elements preferably of dimensions equal to standard egg whereby the top of the case is secured in position. cases of the central partition type. Referring to the drawings, reference numeral 10 A further object of my invention is the prol0 designates the flat bottom of the box-like lower 10 vision of a collapsible egg case, preferably made or tray-like portion of the collapsible case of my an egg case having hingedly mounted side walls invention. Opposite parallel longitudinal side and hingedly mounted end walls and center par- Walls I i and end walls i2 are formed preferably tition, all of which are adapted to be pivoted into integral with bottom [0, the side and end walls overlapping adjacent position within the bottom being of relatively short height and extending 15 tray portion. perpendicularly. Spaced apart hinge knuckles A further object of my invention is the pro- Ila are formed integral and along the upper vision of a collapsible egg case, preferably made edge of each of the side walls H and similar hinge of light and inexpensive sheet metal having end knuckles [2a are formed along the upper edges and side walls and central partition hingedly of end walls I2. 20 mounted with respect to the relatively shallow Said hinge knuckles Ha are made to interfit bottom tray portion, and having a novel and and cooperate with hinge knuckles formed on the special top or cover adapted to be folded inwardly lower edges of hinged or pivoted longitudinal side in adjacent position with the pivoted and over- Walls I3 and I4 and said interfitting hinge lapped side and end walls, one of the longitudinal knuckles are adapted to receive a suitable rod or 25 side walls forming the top of the collapsed case pintle l5. Cooperating and interfitting knuckles to thereby form a relatively compact space- I6a are formed on the lower edges respectively of saving package. hinged and collapsible side walls l5 and I7 and A further object of my invention is the prosaid end panels are hingedly mounted by end vision of a collapsible egg case having the above pintles I8. 30 mentioned novel features, in combination with As illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the respective yieldable, releasable fastening elements at various hinged side wall panels and end wall panels pivot points thereon whereby the case may be quickly fiO 0 p the y-P defined by lower and easily set up or disassembled and secured in side and end walls H and [2, the end. panels collapsed position. being preferably laid inward before the hinged 35 Other and further objects of the invention side Walls I3 and [4. will be apparent from the drawings and from The portion which comprises the top of the the detailed description which follows. set-up egg case is composed of two substantially On the drawings: rectangular panel sections l9 and 2B, which have Fig. 1 is a perspective view with parts broken interfitting hinge knuckles formed along their 40 away showing my collapsible case in partially adjacent longitudinal edges and which are collapsed position. pivotally connected together by said knuckles and Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken across the by a suitable pintle 20a. Panel section I9 is relawidth of the case and showing relative positions tively narrow and panel section 20 is of such a of the foldable parts when case is in collapsed width that the combined area of panels l9 and 20 45 position. will form a complete top or cover for the top of a Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of one set-up case.

of the corners of the box illustrating details One longitudinal edge of panel section I9 is of the hinge elements. hingedly connected to the adjacent edge of side 60 Fig. 4 is a Vertical cross sectional view through wall panel I3 by interfitting cooperating hinge a central longitudinal plane and showing parts knuckles formed respectively on said adjacent broken away. edges, and by a suitable pintle 2|.

Fig. 5 is a transverse cross sectional view The central partition or panel of the egg case through the set up and closed case. comprises the rectangular panel 22 which is of Fig. 6 is an enlarged and elevational View of a size to reach the top when the egg case is set 55 up, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The lower edge of panel 22 is turned to form a knuckle and is pivoted on the central portion of a bail-like off-set rod 23 whose outwardly extending angular feet are stationarily secured upon the bottom I0 by metal brackets 24 respectively, said metal brackets being preferably riveted to said bottom, as illustrated in Fig. 6, or otherwise suitably secured thereto as by welding. Said bail-like rod 23 is secured so that it remains in a plane perpendicular to bottom Hi.

In order that the collapsible egg case be easily, quickly and rigidly set up into usable form in the packing process, I provide releasable fastening means for quickly securing the walls of the case in set-up position. Such means includes four cooperating interlocking fasteners, one at each interior corner and each comprising an angular bracket arm 25 having a base 25a riveted tothe end walls I6 and I! respectively, as illustrated in Fig. '7. The bracket is formed by bending the extending projecting portion along a diagonal line, as illustrated in Fig. 7, to cause the end 25b to project downwardly toward the bottom of the case. Each of the downwardly projecting ends 251) are stamped to form outwardly extending rib 250.

The fastening elements which cooperate with the afore-described angular brackets each consists of a metal plate preferably made from spring steel and designated by reference numeral 26, as illustrated'in Fig. 7. Each of the metal clips comprises the apertured base portion by means of which said clips are secured by rivets or the like, upon each of the opposite pivotal side walls and at opposite ends thereof, as illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and '7, the same being in a position to engage and receive the extending ends 25b of bracket arms 25 respectively.

The free portions of each of the clips 25 are bent and off-set away from the wall panel on which they are mounted and are bent to form an inwardly opening recess 28a which is adapted to receive the projecting rim 250 of the bracket 25 with which it cooperates. The extreme free end of the clips 26 is bent outwardly so that the end wall panel, when pivoted, may be snapped into position and so that said bracket and clip interengage, as illustrated in Fig. 7 7

After the vertical side walls and end walls have been set-up into vertical position, the shipping case is ready to be packed with its contents, and after being packed, the top which comprises the two hinged-together rectangular panels l9 and 2E] will be pivoted into a position to form a cover, and secured in such covering or locked position by suitable fastening means such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 8. Said illustrated fastening means comprises a pair of spaced apart integral extensions 21 formed on the free edge of the panel 20, and each of said extensions having. a slot 27a therein.

Formed on the upper edge of the pivotal side wall I4 and in positions to cooperate with the slotted extensions 21, are a pair of yieldable spring clips 28, each of which is secured at its lower end by Welding or the like to the upper edge of the pivotal wall panel I4. Each of said yieldable spring clips 28 comprises a pair of opposed metal sections which are spaced apart and separated at their upper ends to present a pair of rounded surfaces on opposite sides thereof. As

the normal position of the spaced apart springable sections of spring clips 28 is greater than the width of each of the slots 21a with which they cooperate, said upper separated sections will be pressed together when the top is closed and the extension 21 pressed downward thereon to cause said spring clips 28 to snap into the respective slots 21a. When it is desired to open said top, it is merely necessary to firmly pull upwardly on the metal extensions 21 to cause contraction of said clips 28 and a consequent separation of said top from said securing means.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, that my invention provides a collapsible shipping case for eggs or other merchandise of relatively light though strong and inexpensive construction, and which when desired to be shipped back to the source of supply of the goods, may be quickly and easily collapsed and secured into a compact package for convenient handling and inexpensive shipment.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention herein specifically described without departing from or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention or any features thereof, and nothing herein shall be construed as limitations upon the invention, its concept or structural embodiment as to the whole or any part thereof except as defined in the appended claim.

I claim:

A collapsible egg case comprising a bottom tray-like portion consisting of a bottom and integral relatively shallow vertical side and end walls, said side and end walls being joined at the corners thereof respectively; hinge knuckles on the upper edges of said side and end walls; a pair of end wall panels pivotally mounted along the lower edge of each thereof to the hinge knuckles of the shallow end walls of said traylike section; a pair of longitudinal side walls hingedly connected to the upper edges and knuckles respectively of said shallow tray-section side walls; releasable fastening elements on said pivotal side walls each thereof including a downwardly projecting arm; spring clips on said end walls respectively and positioned at the corners respectively whereby said arms of said side wall fastening elements are releasably secured in vertical set-up position; a pair of substantially rectangular top panels pivotally connected together along their adjacent longitudinal edges, one of said top panels being of substantially smaller area than the other, said smaller top panel being hingedly connected to the edge of one of the pivotal side walls of said case, one of said top panels being adapted to be folded inwardly when said case is collapsed; a transverse partition panel adapted to be maintained across the center of said tray-section to form two compartments; a metal bail pivoted at its ends to the bottom of the case, said transverse partition being connected at its lower end to said bail; interfitting fastening elements on the free edge of the outer of said top panels; cooperating fastening elements on the upper edge of said pivotal side wall whereby said top panels may be releasably secured. in closed position; and spring clip retaining members on the tray end wallsadapted to hold said case in collapsed position.

ROBERT M. FENTON. 

